RESTRICTED
166073
MDLIAN 4155
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY. I HOPE THAT IT DEMONSTRATED THAT OUR PREVIOUS POLICY OF DOING NOTHING TO ATTRACT INWARD INVESTMENTS FROM HONG KONG WAS UNNECESSARILY CAUTIOUS. THE SEMINAR HAS ATTRACTED NO CRITICISM, AND AS INDICATED THE PRESS COVERAGE HAS ALL BEEN FAVOURABLE. MOREOVER THE DEGREE TO WHICH WE WILL LOSE OUT TO OTHERS IF WE DO NOT MAKE SUCH EFFORTS IS ILLUSTRATED BY THE DUTCH AND A EUROPEAN COMMUNITY GROUP HOLDING MAJOR SEMINARS IN HONG KONG IN THE COMING WEEK AIMED AT ATTRACTING INVESTMENT FROM HERE.
8. THE WAY IS NOW OPEN TO US FOR A CLOSER AND FRANKER DIALOGUE WITH HONG KONG MANUFACTURES ON THE QUESTION OF INVESTMENT IN THE UK. IF THE HIGH LEVEL OF INTEREST SHOWN AT THIS SEMINAR IS MAINTAINED, AND THE INWARD MISSION WE PROPOSE TO ARRANGE NEXT YEAR ACHIEVES ITS OBJECTIVES, WE MIGHT PLAN ON HOLDING ANOTHER IBB SPONSORED SEMINAR HERE IN ABOUT 18 MONTHS TIME.
HEAP
YYYY
MAIN
36
MINIMAL
HKD
JOINT DIRECTORATE
ADDITIONAL
1
IBB/DTI (VIC ST)
NNNN
DISTRIBUTION
37
ERD
ECD (E)
PAGE 3 RESTRICTED